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MOVIES / ON DVD / THE BIG KAHUNA
The Big Kahuna

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The Big Kahuna (1999)

73%
50%
67%
N/A
N/A
N/A
73 %
Reviews Counted: 73 Fresh: 53  Rotten:20 Average Rating: 6.5/10
 
Consensus: Wonderful adaptation of the stage play.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins

Synopsis: First-time feature director John Swanbeck teams up with producer-actor Kevin Spacey for this big screen adaptation of Roger Rueff's play HOSPITALITY SUITE. The story concerns three lubricant salesmen who have gathered in a Witchita, Kansas hotel room in order to throw a cocktail party for... First-time feature director John Swanbeck teams up with producer-actor Kevin Spacey for this big screen adaptation of Roger Rueff's play HOSPITALITY SUITE. The story concerns three lubricant salesmen who have gathered in a Witchita, Kansas hotel room in order to throw a cocktail party for prospective buyers. They are Larry (Spacey), a harsh, cocky veteran; his partner Phil (Danny DeVito), a passive recovering alcoholic; and Bob (Peter Facinelli), a naïve new colleague whose ethics drive Larry into fits of disbelief. The trio waits for the night's arrivals--most specifically, "The Big Kahuna," a man so wealthy that he has the ability to single-handedly revive Larry and Phil's struggling careers. After the party, Larry and Phil are dumbfounded when they discover that Bob actually spoke to him, only their conversation consisted solely of religious dialogue. Larry sends Bob in search of "The Big Kahuna" with the order that he discuss business if he wants to remain employed. The subsequent hours provide each individual with the chance to exorcise his inner demons once and for all. Limited in its usage of locations, Rueff's big-screen adaptation of his play contains inspired performances from Spacey, DeVito, and Facinelli. [More]

Genre: Comedies

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Danny De Vito, Peter Facinelli

Director: John Swanbeck
Screenwriter: Roger Rueff
Producer: Elie Samaha, Kevin Spacey, Andrew Stevens
Composer: Christopher Young

DVD Info

Release:

May 6, 2004

[DVD Details]
  • DVD Features
  • Region 1
  • Keep Case
  • Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
  • Single Side - Single Layer
  • Audio:

    • Dolby Surround - English

    Additional Release Material:

    • Trailers - 1. Original Theatrical Trailer
    • Parental Control

    Interactive Features:

    • Interactive Menus
    • Scene Access

    Text/Photo Galleries:

    • Production Notes
    • Biographies - 1. Cast & Crew

    Reviews

     
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    1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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    N/R

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    06/24/06
    Time Out
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    2/5

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    04/01/06
    Empire Magazine
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    3/5

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    08/17/04
    Neil Smith
    BBC
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    N/R

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    12/10/01
    Rich Cline
    Shadows on the Wall
    N/R

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    06/17/08
    Emanuel Levy
    Variety
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    2/4

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    07/14/07
    Joe Lozito
    Big Picture Big Sound
    N/R

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    08/19/06
    Stephen Whitty
    San Francisco Examiner
    N/R

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    05/26/06
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Combustible Celluloid
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    2/5

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    12/06/05
    Film Threat
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    N/R

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    07/21/05
    Houston Chronicle
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    B+

    Giving actors a chance to act seems to be the point...

    Full Review | comment Comment
    01/02/05
    Philip Martin
    Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
    Ratings Image
    B+

    At our best, we admit our faults. And we admit that others, no matter how different, have something to teach us. What a surprising thing to learn from a film.

    Full Review | comment Comment
    12/06/04
    Jeffrey Overstreet
    Looking Closer
    Ratings Image
    2.5/4

    ...worth watching just for the performances...

    Full Review | comment Comment
    08/01/03
    David Nusair
    Reel Film Reviews
    Ratings Image
    C

    You get the feeling that The Big Kahuna would be great in-the-round theater, its ambiguous machinations benefiting from feeding off of a live audience. As filmed, however, it's just three characters waiting for a story.

    Full Review | comment Comment
    07/18/03
    Brent Simon
    Entertainment Today
    N/R

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    05/28/03
    Beth Jones
    Roanoke Times (Virginia)
    N/R

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    05/22/03
    Eugene Novikov
    Film Blather
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    2.5/4

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    05/14/03
    Jeanne Aufmuth
    Palo Alto Weekly
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    2.5/4

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    04/25/03
    Globe and Mail
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    2/5

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    12/08/02
    Film Threat
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    N/R

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    10/21/02
    Jean Lowerison
    San Diego Metropolitan
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    Around the Network

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